Emilio Thuillier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emilio Thuillier
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Pablo Audouard, <1907
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| Born | 4 August 1868 |
| Died | 12 July 1940 |
| Occupation | Stage actor |
| Spouse(s) | Hortensia Gelabert (? - 1958) |
Emilio Thuillier (born August 4, 1868 – died July 12, 1940) was a famous Spanish actor. He was one of the top stage actors of his time in Spain. He worked with many other great actors. These included María Guerrero, Fernando Díaz de Mendoza, Margarita Xirgu, and Rosario Pino. He even started a theater company with Rosario Pino.
Contents
The Life of Emilio Thuillier
Early Life and Training
Emilio Thuillier was born in Málaga, Spain. His father was French and a businessman. His mother was Spanish. Emilio was supposed to follow in his father's footsteps. He was meant to work in business.
But his father died when Emilio was young. This changed everything. Emilio had already enjoyed acting with friends. Now, he decided to become a professional actor. In 1916, he was asked when he first loved theater. He said, "Before I can remember. I believe I was born with an affinity for the stage."
He moved to Madrid to study acting. He spent three years at the Madrid Royal Conservatory for Music and Declamation. A great actor named Antonio Vico taught him there. Vico was a big influence on Emilio.
Starting His Acting Career
Emilio first appeared on stage in 1887. He joined the company of Alfredo and Julia Cirera. His first role was a waiter in "La Taberna." This play was at the Teatro Novedades in Madrid. He only had ten words to say!
But Emilio quickly showed his talent. He was good at acting and moving on stage. Soon, he got bigger roles. Another important theater leader, Emilio Mario, hired him. Under Mario's guidance, Emilio grew as an artist.
He got his first main role in 1892. This was at Madrid's Comedy Theatre. He acted opposite María Guerrero in "Realidad." This play was written by Benito Pérez Galdós.
Becoming a Star
Emilio's fame grew a lot in 1895. He played the main male role in Joaquín Dicenta's play "Juan José." This was also at the Comedy Theatre. "Juan José" was a very important play. It showed social issues from everyday life in a new way. For many years, it was one of the most performed plays in Spain.
When "Juan José" first opened, it caused a lot of discussion. It talked about love and social problems between the main characters. Emilio's success meant he could now do more. He became a lead actor, a director, and even owned his own theater company.
Famous Plays and Roles
Throughout his long career, Emilio Thuillier performed many new plays. He worked with the best Spanish writers of his time. Some important plays he premiered included "Mariana" by José Echegaray. He also performed works by the Quintero brothers.
Other famous plays were "El tacaño Salomón" and "La de San Quintín" by Benito Pérez Galdós. He also acted in "El hijo de Polichinela" by Jacinto Benavente. And he performed "Cobardías" by Linares Rivas.
Emilio also loved classic plays. He performed Spanish and foreign classics. He was in successful Spanish versions of Othello and Falstaff. One of his best performances was as Sir John Falstaff. This was on July 10, 1902, at the Eldorado Theatre in Barcelona. A newspaper called "Vanguardia" gave him a wonderful review two days later.
Working with Other Greats and International Tours
Emilio Thuillier worked with many top writers and actors. This shows how important he was in the theater world. He performed in Spain and went on international tours. These tours included North America.
He worked with Cuban-born actress Hortensia Gelabert. She later became his wife. They made the funny play "Una noche de primavera sin sueño" very popular. This play was by a young writer from Madrid, Enrique Jardiel Poncela. It first opened on May 28, 1927, at the Lara Theatre.
Emilio Thuillier also made one film. It was in 1924, called "La mala ley." He starred with Hortensia Gelabert. The film was directed by Manuel Noriega Ruiz. Fernando Díaz de Mendoza and José Isbert were also in it. After Emilio died, Hortensia Gelabert ran her own theater company for a while. She later returned to Cuba and died in 1958.
In his last two decades, Emilio worked closely with the theater company of Fernando Díaz de Mendoza and María Guerrero. He also became well-known overseas. He went on three long tours of Latin America. These were in 1902, 1906, and 1913. He traveled with top Spanish actresses like Ana Ferri and Margarita Xirgu.
He toured countries like Argentina, Chile, Perú, México, Costa Rica, and Uruguay. These tours were very difficult to organize. Emilio managed them himself. For example, the 1906 tour involved 35 people, including 20 actors. They brought a lot of stage equipment. This included over 100 stage sets, furniture, and props. It weighed more than 30,000 kilograms!
The tour lasted 15 months and covered five countries. They had 290 performances, and every show was sold out. They performed 27 different plays. These included works by Echegaray, Galdós, Benavente, Shakespeare, and others. The only days off were for traveling between cities.
Years later, a famous writer remembered these tours. In 1924, the Chilean writer Nathanael Yañez Silva wrote his "Memoirs of a man of the theatre." He said Emilio Thuillier was one of the best "gelanes" (leading men) to ever come from Europe.
Personality and Later Years
Emilio Thuillier's theater company had its headquarters in Madrid. He had a large theater library there. He also collected many gold crowns. These were prizes he had won. There were also paintings of famous Spanish actors.
Emilio was a very kind and interesting person. He always had fun stories to tell. When asked about his happiest moment, he quickly replied. It was when he saw his mother cry at the first performance of a new play by Benavente.
He also told a funny story about himself. Once, he was convinced to sing Zarzuela in public. But Emilio Thuillier was not a singer. He tried to perform, but nothing came out when he opened his mouth. He kept trying to sing. The audience found it very funny. They applauded loudly and generously.
In the 1930s, he continued to perform in both serious and funny plays. Towards the end of the decade, he had a stroke. This affected him badly. He died in Madrid on July 12, 1940. At his funeral, his audience gave him one last round of applause. But this time, he could not return for another bow.
See also
In Spanish: Emilio Thuillier para niños
